Students

University of Akron Using 'Cheeky' Informercials to Sell Graduating on Time; They Might Be Working Too

By

The University of Akron (UA) is emphatically selling graduating on time the way the late Billy Mays sold OxiClean.

Literally.

According to the Akron Beacon-Journal, two UA administrators have now hosted two videos in which they emulate Mays' enthusiastic infomercials. The videos are titled "Finish in Time" (FIT) and they are being circulated around the undergraduate student body.

Chris Stimler and William "Willy" Kollman's selling point is that 12 credit hours in a semester costs the same as 15, so it is worth it take an extra class and graduate sooner.

"More cash in your pocket. Less college debt," Stimler, assistant director of admissions, says in one video.

"And a craving for an extremely large burrito," Kollman says, finishing his co-host's thought as a burrito appears on cue. "So join the masses and schedule your classes today."

UA's students know graduating on time is a serious issue, but the satirical comedic approach may be the better way to appeal to undergrads. For example, Chelsi King, the Undergraduate Student Government president told the Journal she is "ecstatic that they are pushing it."

Students paying tuition for four years instead of five or six is also beneficial for the school, as it improves its academic reputation by upping graduation rates. UA's state funding is also currently tied to six-year graduation rates.

"It's a serious topic, but we wanted to do something to get the attention of the audience we were going to," Wayne Hill, UA's associate vice president of marketing, told the Journal. "We went for cheeky, not preachy."

UA is seeing its efforts pay off quickly. This academic term, the school has seen a one-year, 28 percent increase in first-time, full-time freshmen with a 15-credit hour course load. What's more is now roughly half the freshman at UA are on-track for a four-year college stay.

"We really pushed that heavily last [school] year," Stacey Moore, UA associate vice president for student success, told the Journal. "We presented it at every new student orientation. We talked to all the parents. We showed them very specifically to the penny how much money they will save - both now and at the end. We show them exactly the lost salary potential."

© 2024 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics